Bureau of Reclamation

Delivering reliable water supplies for agriculture, renewable hydropower and municipal needs in an environmentally and economically sound manner.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

With Colorado River reservoirs at historic lows, waiting is not an option. After years of work with states, tribes and stakeholders, Interior is acting to protect water deliveries and critical infrastructure while leaving the door open for a broader agreement.

[Bureau of Reclamation - California-Great Basin @ReclamationCGB]

The Bureau of Reclamation and Friant Water Authority have broken ground on Phase 1 of the Friant-Kern Canal Pump Station Replacement Project—a $200 million federal investment to modernize critical water infrastructure and strengthen reliable water deliveries across the San Joaquin Valley.

To learn more go to: https://t.co/zD4iLJUCDL

📸 1: Aerial view of the middle reach of the Friant-Kern Canal. The Middle Reach Capacity Correction Project, completed in Spring of 2024, was the first phase and corrected the most critical portion of the canal.
📸 2: This is one of the five aging pump stations that will be replaced on the Friant-Kern Canal.
📸 3: View of San Joaquin Valley farmland. As part of the Central Valley Project, the 152-mile Friant-Kern Canal delivers water to one million acres of some of the most productive farmland in the country.
📸 4: Department of the Interior and Reclamation leadership alongside Friant Water Authority joined federal, state, and local officials as well as farmers, water managers, and community leaders at a project groundbreaking ceremony.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

The Bureau of Reclamation today announced the appointment of Anja Raudabaugh as Deputy Commissioner for Policy. She will lead policy and strategic initiatives across the 17 Western states.

“The West does not need more bureaucratic process. It needs builders and doers,” said Acting Commissioner Bettencourt. “Anja Raudabaugh has built agreements & programs that hold, and she understands that water policy only matters if it shows up as wet water, working farms, and projects that can be built.”

📸: Anja Raudabaugh

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

Another big milestone for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded an $81 million contract to Carstensen Contracting, Inc. to build the Block 2-3 pipeline, the final major construction piece needed to move this historic project toward completion.

Stretching from the Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir to the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant, this new pipeline is a crucial step in delivering clean, reliable water to nearly 250,000 people across the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities.

The San Juan Lateral is more than 75% complete with initial water deliveries slated for late 2028 and final project completion by the end of 2029.

For more information, read the press release here:
https://t.co/xrEy1Ipukl

📸: Example of open pipe trench install being utilized on the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

Green Mountain Reservoir’s 83-year-old spillway will get some much-needed love this summer and fall. Originally completed in 1943, the spillway apron is now more than 80 years old.

Northern Water and Dietzler Construction will repair and replace the spillway inlet slab, retrofit the gabion wall, and repair the right slope paving slab on the dam’s spillway.

This year’s low water levels provided an opportunity to complete these tasks and save money at the same time.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

A major milestone for the Bureau of Reclamation hydropower.

Reclamation’s Technical Service Center recently installed new digital control systems at three Reclamation power plants. Together, the upgraded generators can produce more than 150 megawatts of electricity.

Designed and built by Reclamation engineers, the new technology helps generators run safely and reliably. It also makes maintenance easier, provides detailed performance data and allows some testing to be done automatically.

💡 Fun fact: A generating capacity of 150 megawatts can supply electricity to about 125,000 typical U.S. households. In comparison, Reclamation’s total hydroelectric power capacity is over 15,000 megawatts, which is enough to provide electricity to approximately 12.5 million average U.S. homes.

These upgrades will help Reclamation continue delivering reliable, affordable and renewable hydropower across the West.

📸1: Water flows from Palisades Dam Powerplant along the Snake River near Irwin, Idaho.
📸2: Technical Service Center engineer Matt Burgamy commissions Reclamation’s first in-house-designed digital speed governor and excitation system controller.
📸3: Technical Service Center engineer Kyle Clair tests and monitors electrical control equipment during commissioning.
📸4: Upper Colorado Basin engineer Andy Price installs Reclamation’s first digital excitation system controller.

#Hydropower #HydroWorks #Reclamation #TSC

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

⚡ Hydropower: Meet the Bureau of Reclamation’s oldest. 

Minidoka has been generating power since 1909. 

⚡ 28 MW of generating capacity 
⚡ 4 generators 
⚡ 2 powerhouses 
⚡ About 100 million kWh average annual generation 
⚡ Power for about 7,000 to 10,000 homes per year

116+ years and still generating. 

Dam impressive. Powerfully Reclamation. ⚡ 

📸1: Water flows from the Minidoka Powerhouse into the Snake River near Rupert, Idaho.
📸2: Minidoka Dam switchyard, Minidoka Irrigation District headworks, and the Minidoka Powerhouse along the Snake River near Rupert, Idaho.
📸3: Generating units line the interior of the Minidoka Powerhouse near Rupert, Idaho.
📸4: Minidoka Powerhouse operates along the Snake River near Rupert, Idaho.

#Hydropower #HydroWorks #Reclamation

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

Beginning Friday, August 28, the Bureau of Reclamation will increase water releases from Lewiston Dam to help migrating adult salmon move upriver into healthier habitat.

Flows in the Trinity River will rise from 450 cubic feet per second to up to 1,200 CFS. This planned increase will not affect water supplies for agriculture, communities, or other environmental commitments. The release is coordinated with the Yurok and Hoopa valley tribes, the State of California, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners.

During these higher flows, river levels will rise and currents will be faster and colder. Please use caution and follow all safety guidelines when near or on the river. For more information visit: https://t.co/Tbn7E5WIRX.

📸: Water flowing down the spillway of Lewiston Dam into the Trinity River.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

⚡ Hydropower: Meet the Bureau of Reclamation’s newest.

Spirit Mountain Powerplant near Cody, Wyoming, is Reclamation’s newest hydropower facility.

⚡ 4.5 MW of generating capacity
⚡ Operates about 6 months/year
⚡ 16,541 MWh generated in FY 2025
⚡ 1 of 4 powerplants in the Buffalo Bill Complex

Dam impressive. Powerfully Reclamation. ⚡

📸 1: Water releases from Buffalo Bill Dam into the Shoshone River near Cody, Wyoming.
📸 2: Spirit Mountain Power Plant sits in the Shoshone Canyon near Cody, Wyoming.
📸 3: Inside Spirit Mountain Power Plant, generating equipment and mechanical components work together to produce hydropower.
📸 4: The generator shaft extends through the roof of Spirit Mountain Power Plant.

#Hydropower #HydroWorks #Reclamation

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

⚡ Hydropower: Meet the Bureau of Reclamation’s smallest. 

Lewiston Power Plant is Reclamation’s smallest hydropower facility: 

⚡ 350 kW of capacity 
⚡ 1 generator 
🐟 Powers the adjacent fish hatchery 
💧 Helps maintain Trinity River flows 

Small facility. Big purpose. 

Dam impressive. Powerfully Reclamation. ⚡ 

📸1: Lewiston Powerplant operates along the Trinity River near Lewiston, California.
📸2: A generating unit and control equipment inside Lewiston Powerplant near Lewiston, California.

#Hydropower #HydroWorks #Reclamation

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

Hydropower:⚡Meet the Bureau of Reclamation’s largest. 

Grand Coulee Dam is BIG: 

⚡ 6,809 MW of generating capacity 
⚡ 33 generators 
⚡ 20 billion kWh average annual generation 
⚡ Power for about 2 million homes/year 
📏 550 feet tall 
📏 Just 57 feet short of a mile long 

Dam impressive. Powerfully Reclamation. ⚡ 

📸1: Grand Coulee Dam spans the Columbia River in Washington state as water flows over the spillway.
📸2: Generating units line the John W. Keys III Pump-Generating Plant at Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state.
📸3: Generating units line the Right Powerhouse at Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state.
📸4: The Nathaniel “Nat” Washington Power Plant at Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state houses some of the dam’s largest generating units.

#Hydropower #HydroWorks #Reclamation

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

⚡It’s National Hydropower Day!

The Bureau of Reclamation is one of the nation’s largest hydropower producers, providing reliable, renewable electricity across the West.

Follow along this week as we highlight some of our largest, biggest, first and only hydropower features.

Dam impressive. Powerfully Reclamation. ⚡

#Hydropower #HydroDay #HydroWorks #Reclamation

📸1: An American flag hangs above generating units inside the Shasta Dam powerplant near Redding, California.
📸2: Parker Dam spans the Colorado River along the Arizona-California border.
📸3: Flaming Gorge Dam rises above the Green River in northeastern Utah.
📸4: Water flows over Black Canyon Diversion Dam on the Payette River near Emmett, Idaho.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

Topock Marsh in the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona now has a new pump station featuring two Archimedes screw pumps that are fully operational! 🎉

This upgrade provides a reliable way to keep water levels steady to support critical habitat for migratory birds and endangered species. This modern system strengthens long-term environmental health across the 4,000-acre marsh.

These pumps have a simple, durable design that allows them to move high volumes of water efficiently even when river levels are low or debris is present, providing a significant upgrade from older gravity-fed systems.

📸: Workers install the Archimedes screw rotor; a steel shaft wrapped in spiral helical blades that lift water as the screw turns inside the pump’s inclined trough

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

For the past 26 years, the Colorado River Basin has been experiencing an unprecedented multidecadal drought, resulting in historically low runoff and reservoir levels. This month Lake Powell and Lake Mead reached a record-low elevation, highlighting the need for flexible operations that can respond to rapidly changing conditions across the Colorado River Basin.

To ensure reliable operations of the Colorado River system, the Department of the Interior issued the 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines and the Record of Decision for the Post-2026 Colorado River Operations Final Environmental Impact Statement, establishing a 10-year Decision Framework to guide future operational guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

Together, they provide for delivery of vital water supplies and protect critical federal infrastructure while preserving the flexibility necessary to respond to Basin States’ voluntary actions, consensus recommendations and the continued prolonged drought.

Read the press release here: https://t.co/fsFtYsvTo1

📷: Glen Canyon Dam rises above the Colorado River near Page, Arizona, with the surrounding red rock landscape visible in the background.

@Interior

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

This Week in History

On Aug. 16, 1962, President John F. Kennedy visited California’s Central Valley to dedicate San Luis Dam, now known as B.F. Sisk Dam, marking a historic moment in the advancement of water infrastructure in the West.

Watch the dedication: https://t.co/fp2rISKcEX

Standing before a crowd of nearly 20,000 people, Kennedy hailed the San Luis Joint-Use Facility as a shining example of federal-state cooperation. Developed by the Bureau of Reclamation in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources, the project was the first major water facility jointly financed and constructed by the state and federal governments.

In his remarks, Kennedy emphasized the importance of long-term investments in water storage and delivery to support agriculture, communities and economic growth throughout California.

Today, B.F. Sisk Dam and the adjacent San Luis Reservoir remain vital components of both the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, delivering water to millions of Californians and supporting one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world.

📷: President John F. Kennedy speaks at the dedication of San Luis Dam, now known as B.F. Sisk Dam, on Aug. 16, 1962, in California’s Central Valley.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

The Green Mountain Powerplant in Colorado energizes the grid and interns from the Technical Service Center!

Each summer Reclamation's Technical Service Center seeks motivated, hard-working, resourceful individuals for its Summer Intern Program. Candidates must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in engineering or related fields such as geology, hydrology, economics, or water resource management.

The program lasts 12 weeks and includes networking and professional development experiences and a capstone project.

This summer, 60 interns at Reclamation toured Green Mountain Powerplant in July as part of their educational experience. They found the tour electrifying!

For more information about Reclamation internships, see https://t.co/9uLE40N9yP.

📸 1: Interns pose outside Green Mountain powerplant.
📸 2: An intern poses with enormous powerplant tools.
📸 3: The 2026 class of TSC interns in front of the Green Mountain Dam spillway.
📸 4: Interns walk under the powerplant penstocks.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

Bureau of Reclamation Principal Deputy Commissioner Aubrey Bettencourt recently visited Shasta Dam, a cornerstone of the Central Valley Project, to work side-by-side with Reclamation employees.

Together with the master mechanics, machinists, and engineers who maximize water supply reliability and hydropower generation every day, she celebrated the dam’s incredible history while focusing the team’s collective expertise on future goals.

The visit centered on collaborative discussions about optimizing this critical infrastructure—strengthening its ability to deliver reliable water and affordable power for California’s communities and farms, supporting the food security, energy independence, and natural vitality of the nation.

Through ambitious problem-solving and a unified commitment to continuous improvement, the team is advancing the safe, reliable, and high-performing operations that will serve California and the country for generations to come.

📷 1: Bureau of Reclamation Principal Deputy Commissioner, Aubrey Bettencourt, talks with plant mechanics at Shasta Dam.
📷 2: Principal Deputy Commissioner, Aubrey Bettencourt talks with California Great Basin Acting Regional Director, Adam Nickels, inside of the old train tunnel at Shasta Dam.
📷 3: Principal Deputy Commissioner, Aubrey Bettencourt, talks with Plant Mechanic, Michael Morris about a power generator while they inspect work being done.
📷 4: Principal Deputy Commissioner, Aubrey Bettencourt, and part of the Northern California Area Office team.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

The @Interior and Bureau of Reclamation remain committed to maximizing water supply reliability while responsibly managing California’s Central Valley Project to support communities, agriculture, and economic prosperity across California.

Reclamation increased 2026 CVP water supply allocations for south-of-Delta agricultural and municipal and industrial contractors.

More: https://t.co/spTsjBqJlJ

#CaWater #Reclamation

📷: The Delta Mendota Canal and O'Neil Forebay are part of the Central Valley Water Project.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

Preparedness starts with partnerships.

Recently, Bureau of Reclamation staff welcomed @CAL_FIRE and the Lewiston Fire Department for an in-depth tour of Trinity Dam, providing a firsthand look at the facility, its operations, and key access points. Building a shared understanding today helps ensure we're ready to work together if an emergency ever arises.

Strong partnerships and coordinated planning are essential to protecting critical infrastructure, our employees, and the communities we serve.

📷 1: CalFire personnel look into a Turbine Pit as part of their tour of the Trinity Dam.
📷 2: The inside of the tunnel system at Trinity Dam is complex so Reclamation staff ensure CalFire personnel know how to access hard to reach areas.
📷 3: Deep inside Trinity Dam firefighters are given a tour by Reclamation staff.
📷 4: CalFire and Lewiston Volunteer Fire Department personnel get a tour of Trinity Dam from Reclamation staff.

[Bureau of Reclamation @usbr]

Today, on Farmworker Appreciation Day, we recognize the hardworking men and women whose dedication helps feed our nation. From planting and irrigating to harvesting and hauling, farmworkers play an essential role in bringing food from the field to our tables.

The Bureau of Reclamation is proud to support American agriculture by delivering reliable water to millions of acres of farmland across the West. Together with farmers and farmworkers, we help sustain crops, strengthen rural communities, and support the nation's food supply.

Today, and every day, we thank our farmworkers for their resilience, commitment, and the vital work they do to nourish our communities.

📸 1: An irrigation pivot supplies water from the McClusky Canal to water North Dakota crops.

📸 2: Sprayer in a field with haybales in the foreground.

📸 3: Field of sunflowers line a highway in the foreground as they stretch far into the distance to meet the sky.

📸 4: A grain bin and a tree sit in the middle of a corn field.